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Defensive detail: a closer look at DPRTE 2016

As we have already posted, this Wednesday (16th March 2016) we’ll be exhibiting at Defence Procurement, Research, Technology and Exportability (DPRTE) 2016, at the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff; but what is DPRTE 2016 and why are we attending?

The defence sector contributes massively to the UK economy, and not all of it goes to large companies. The defence supply chain is extensive, with many links to it. DPRTE 2016 offers buyers and suppliers in the supply chain a great opportunity to meet and “enhance knowledge, share best practice and showcase innovation” (as their website says). It’s a great opportunity for those already in the sector to tell fellow exhibitors what they are all about and for those outside of it to get that all-important foot in the door. There are also a number of speakers across the Keynote Arena and Knowledge Transfer Zones, with the Networking & Support Zones providing a platform for companies to get together and discuss the latest happenings within the defence sector.

So, where does Accelero Digital fit into all this?

As an IASME-accredited Cyber Essentials certification body, we work with companies looking to achieve Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus. We provide consultancy to help them on their way; we also assess companies who are ready to ensure that their cyber security measures are up to scratch.

None of the above will be news to you – or if you’ve taken a look at the Cyber Security hub on our website, it shouldn’t be – but what we type next may well be.

From 1st January 2016, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stipulated that all companies bidding for its contracts must be certified to Cyber Essentials. This falls in line with UK Government and Welsh Government, who have required companies to have Cyber Essentials when bidding for certain contracts since October 2014 and April 2015 respectively.

The MoD following suit is as one might expect; but it goes further than the requirements of the rest of central Government, in it is expected that the whole supply chain (where risk is present) will also be compliant.

From April 2016, all companies bidding for new contracts with the MoD (and their supply chain) will need to comply with the MoD’s Cyber Security Model (CSM), which itself requires Cyber Essentials as a minimum. Many companies will need Cyber Essentials Plus in order to meet requirements.

The result of the MoD’s new requirements, particularly in regard to the CSM, are far-reaching, which is why we are attending DPRTE 2016. We want to raise awareness of the new requirements and ensure that companies who want to start or continue working with the MoD have got everything they need in place to ensure that their, and their supply chain’s, cyber security is up to scratch.

There is more information available over in our Cyber Security hub, but if you are attending DPRTE 2016, then you can find us on Stand 25 to ask us more.